In Love With Me?
by NemesisFate
Summary: Hermione's convinced it's her, Harry knows it's not, Severus is a jerk, and Ron's just baffled. HPSS slash


"He's in love with me," Hermione sighed dreamily. "I know it."

Ron stared, confused. "Who is?"

Hermione looked at him as though just noticing Ron was there.

"I won't tell. But I know it's true." She smiled happily.

"And do you love him?" Ron asked.

Hermione gave him an unamused glare. "Of course I do! He's wonderful!"

"Hey, where's Harry?" Ron asked suddenly.

Harry worked swiftly and efficiently. He unloaded vials of liquid ingredients, stocked bags in cabinets, placed boxes in cupboards, and labeled everything expertly. He finally wiped his hands on a towel and presented himself to Professor Snape. "I'm done, sir."

"With everything, Potter?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then you may leave. Tomorrow you will begin brewing some things. You know what time."

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."

Harry left.

"Harry!" Hermione cried happily upon seeing him. "I have good news! He's in love with me!"

Harry blinked in confusion. "Who is?"

"I won't tell," Hermione answered enigmatically.

Harry shrugged. "And is this unrequited love?"

"No." Defiant. Obstinate.

"Are you dating him?"

"No." Wistful. Longing.

"Why not?"

Hermione shrugged. "Because I can't, not yet. But I will. We were meant to be together, and he knows it."

"3 months until graduation, sir."

"I know that, Potter. You will get a month off from July 15th until August 15th."

"Thank you, sir."

"Then you will return here, as you know when you signed the contract."

Harry smiled. "Yes, sir."

Hermione flopped onto her bed and pulled out her journal.

_He looked at me today, and I think I saw a glimpse of something deeper in his eyes. He finally sees me as more than just a bookworm, but a sexual being… And I'm thrilled! I cannot wait until I can call him mine._

"Hermione, would you just tell us who's in love with you?" Ron demanded.

"Yeah, this is bloody annoying. It's been two weeks already."

"Okay, fine." Hermione lowered her voice. "Snape."

"And you like him?!" Ron cried.

"Shh…" Hermione hissed. "Yes, of course I do. I can't wait until graduation!"

"What makes you think he likes you?" Harry asked carefully.

"The way he looks at me… the way he talks to me…" Hermione trailed off happily.

She snapped to suddenly. "You guys have to help me make a plan on how to win him."

"I thought you said he loves you," Harry supplied.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but he's so moral… he'll probably say no just on basis of age alone. Maybe he thinks he doesn't deserve me or something…"

"Try to get to know the slimy git," suggested Ron. "Talk to him, maybe?"

Hermione brightened. "What a great idea!"

She flounced off.

"I swear, this is making her act more like a girl than I've ever seen her as. And she's so ditzy all of a sudden," Ron groused.

Harry shrugged. "Do you think Snape's really in love with her?"

Ron laughed. "I doubt it. It's Snape, remember?"

"Just because it's Snape doesn't mean he's incapable of love."

Ron shrugged. "Yeah, I suppose. But… Hermione? I don't think so. If anyone from Gryffindor, it would be you."

Harry frowned.

"You are absolutely brilliant and in command of a great deal of power. Especially to his Slytherin mind, that would be very attractive."

"No, I knew that. But Hermione's smarter than me, and she's got power too."

"You're more powerful, and Hermione only has book smarts. You have a natural knack."

"For finding trouble," Harry muttered.

Ron laughed. "You even _sound_ like him."

"Well, he wouldn't be attracted to me if he were straight, though, would he?"

Ron shrugged. "He's not straight."

Harry sat up straight. "He's gay?"

Ron shrugged again. "No, he's not gay. Bi."

"Wait. _How_ do you know this?"

"Mum went to school with him, remember? Um… she and Snape kinda got along during school. Well, it's a sticky story. Apparently, she had feelings for him but he didn't for her and that's when things turned sour. Although I doubt that's why he doesn't like us."

Harry pondered Hermione's declaration of love for a while. He did not, however, bring up the issue with Snape.

Hermione started staying down in the dungeons after class for a quick chat with Snape, offering to help, or pretending to forget something. She ran down during the evening to ask him a question she already knew the answer to and then to chat if she could.

"What do you think of it, sir?" Harry asked as he brewed a simple healing potion.

Snape looked at him with a frown. "Potter, that's not your business."

Harry took out his wand and placed silencing and locking charms on the room.

"Severus, seriously. I know you too well for you to lie."

Severus shrugged. "I don't understand why she insists on pestering me."

Harry wondered if he should say it.

"Spit it out, Harry," Severus commanded wearily.

"She thinks you're in love with her. And she's in love with you."

Severus raised an eyebrow. "Whatever gave her that idea?"

"She said something about the way you look at her."

"She's delusional, then," Severus answered, and Harry laughed, easing quickly into the comfortable routine with his friend.

"So I take it it's not true?"

Severus smiled wanly. "I am in love with one person, and that person is most certainly not Ms. Granger. Nor is it anyone of the female gender."

"Would you like me to tell her that?"

"Certainly not. She would be hurt that you betrayed her confidences, and she would not believe you anyway, thinking you're just jealous."

Harry frowned. "Then what are you going to do?"

"Wait until she confesses her undying love and then tell her."

Harry shrugged. "You know best."

He paused, then a mischievous smile crossed his face. "So, Sev, are you saying you're gay?"

"No, I'm not gay, I'm bi, and _don't call me Sev_."

"Fine, fine."

"And you, Harry? Which persuasion are you?"

"Oh, I'm a screaming poofter," Harry answered airily. "Gay as gay can be. I'm so gay, I put Oscar Wilde to shame."

"Seriously, or are you just waxing poetic here?"

"Seriously. I'm completely and utterly gay."

Not a month later Hermione came rushing to Harry and Ron. "I saw a small box in his hand!" she squealed. "I think he's going to ask!"

Harry cocked his head. "Oh, good, the Fireball Dragon toenail order finally came in. I'll remember to go by tonight and put it away properly, plus leave a full list of potions he could make with them, as well as pull out experimental potions he's working on that would require the use of them. Excellent."

Hermione gave him a withering glare. "I know what it is, and it is _not_ a potions ingredient. It is a ring!"

As it turned out, Harry was right.

Graduation came, and that night found Hermione at Severus' door, knocking politely.

"Enter!"

Hermione entered quickly.

"Ah, Ms. Granger. Mr. Potter is in the workroom, transcribing shorthand for me."

"I came to talk to you." Hermione spotted a small box on a table and thought, _'That's for me.'_

"Ah. Well, be seated."

There was an awkward silence, although neither of them sat down.

"So, what are your plans for the future?" Hermione asked.

Severus raised an eyebrow. "Contrary to whatever you may think, I am not leaving here just because you are. I will continue to teach here like I always have."

Hermione floundered for a couple of minutes, then walked over to Severus. She went very close to him and said, "I came to tell you I love you."

And she kissed him, fully expecting a passionate response. She could have been kissing a statue for all of the response Severus gave.

Finally she gave up and pulled back.

"Then I fear I must tell you it is unrequited," Severus answered.

"You led me on?"

"Not at all. I did not realize any of this."

Soon after, dejected and upset, Hermione left.

"Was she by?" asked Harry.

"Yes."

"And?"

"She declared her love, kissed me, then I told her it was unrequited, assured her I had not known previously, and she went on her way."

"Bugger it, Severus, I'm curious. Who are you in love with?"

"Whom," Severus corrected gently. "And that I won't divulge."

"Well, I have a confession of my own."

"Oh, Merlin spare me from confessing Gryffindors! Have you addle-patted twits confused me for a Muggle priest?"

"I love you, you know." Oh, well done, Harry, he thought. _Very_ high on list of best romantic declarations ever.

Severus smiled.

"Then you guessed my secret. The ring in that box is for you, brat, should you want it." Oh, never mind. Maybe it was the best, given the man he had been delivering his declaration of love to.

"More than anything. No, not true. I want you more than anything."

Severus chuckled. "You know what the ring means?"

"Yes. And I accept."

"When?"

"July 31st."

"Happily."

"We'll have time to honeymoon."

"Just what I need. A sappy romantic two weeks with you dragging me to Merlin-knows-where."

"Well, I was thinking places with beach and sun… gotta work on getting you some _color_, Sev. A bit of a tan, maybe."

"Forget the sand, you kinky bastard, you're thinking of sex on the beach."

"Maybe," Harry answered with an innocent grin.

Severus glared at him. "Sand in every crevice? Sticking to us? Do you have any idea how uncomfortable that is?"

"Severus, are you are wizard or not?" Harry asked.

Severus gaped. "No one, and I repeat, _no one_, in my life has ever _dared_ ask me such a question! Of all the idiotic presumptions! Am I a wizard?"

"'Cause then we could, oh, I dunno, charm our little part of the beach so that the sand doesn't stick to us," Harry finished.

Severus stared at him in shock, then began laughing. "You win. We'll go to the beach. And I'll be a wizard and charm the sand from getting in everywhere."

"Hermione will never forgive me for 'stealing' you."

"I'm not a piece of property," Severus growled. "I happen to be human and capable of choosing lovers just fine on my own."

"Yes, obviously, but I shouldn't've even said a word to you, out of deference to Hermione."

Severus raised an eyebrow. "Really?" he drawled. "Fascinating. Tell me, do you actually follow that strange rule of relationships that teenage girls seem to, or can you act like an adult and accept that I love you and not her?"

Harry grinned. "Oh, I think I can accept that you love me just fine. Although," he began thoughtfully, his grin turning wicked, "You may need to persuade me that you do."

Severus smirked ferally as he swooped down and kissed Harry demandingly. "I'll just start now, if you don't mind?"

"Oh, I dunno," Harry laughed. "It'll probably be terribly boring."

"My dear Harry, it will be very many things, but boring will never be among them. Not with the two of us involved."

"Not with love involved," Harry added cheekily.


End file.
